Louis L. McAllister Photographs

Louis L. McAllister photographed people and places near
Burlington, Vermont for 60 years. He was born in Columbus, Nebraska on
October 16, 1876, the son of Julius S. McAllister (born 1841 in Lincoln, VT)
and Rosette Gould (born in Vermont in 1851). Julius McAllister worked as a
photographer and dentist in Washington D.C., Bristol, Vermont and Columbus,
Nebraska. Around 1895, Julius, his third wife Amy, and their children left
Nebraska for the Union Soldiers’ Colony in Fitzgerald, Georgia. By 1900,
Julius and Amy were divorced, and Amy and her stepson Louis were working as
photographers in Thomasville, Georgia.

In 1907 Louis McAllister married Cora Shepard (born about 1872
in Vermont) in Holland, Michigan. By 1910, they were living in Queen City
Park in South Burlington, Vermont, where Louis established a photography
studio. The McAllisters moved to Burlington, and by 1919 they lived at 47 N.
Winooski Avenue. They continued to occupy a summer cottage at Queen City
Park, and were active in the Queen City Park Association, which held
spiritualist camp meetings annually. McAllister conducted his photography
business from home until his death in 1963.

McAllister’s “trademark” was his panorama camera which made him
familiar to all sorts of groups ranging from graduating classes to state
police to summer camp groups. In addition he did print 8 x 10 photos, many
of which document building construction and Burlington Street Department
projects, as well as group and individual portraits.

The L.L. McAllister Collection includes portraits, construction
projects, buildings, businesses and events in the Burlington area covering
the period ca. 1920-1960. The collection also includes photos of street,
bridge, airport and sewer construction and repair, as well as group
portraits of clubs, schools, etc.

August 3, 1944. This view shows the completed road way in the foreground with the Municipal Refuse Disposal Grounds regulations attached to the side of the house, also the Salvage Depot building with a lean-to garage and tool shack at some distance from the Depot building. Note the pile of Salvage metal in the background to the left, also the smoke where burning of unsalvageable materials takes place a the far end of the grounds.

August 3, 1944. This view shows a panoramic of the entire development of the Municipal Refuse Disposal Grounds. Note the long easy grade of the road leading down from North Bend Street, also the salvage depot and other buildings and the smoke rising from the end of the Cat's Island area where all unsalvageable materials are burned. Note the Central Vermont Railroad tracks paralleling the road.

This view shows the embankment between the Central Vermont Railroad and North Bend Street through which the road will be constructed leading from the intersection of North Bend St. and St. Louis St. to Cat's Island a distance of approximately 1500 lineal feet. The road here will be constructed on 7-3/4 percent grade. The difference in elevation between the level of the curbs on North Bend St. at the intersection of St. Louis St. and the iron pipe on Cat's Island at the proposed City Dump is approximately 83 feet and the difference in elevation between this iron pipe and the level of the Intervale at the bottom of the dump is approximately 41 ft.
Note :-The Bulldozer just starting the work of shaping the shoulders and fitting the ravine in the foreground preparatory to lining out the location of the center line of the road.

August 3, 1944. This view taken from a point on North Ave. over the tunnel shows the panoramic of the entire Cat's Island Area including the dumping area, the Salvage Depot and tool shack and the road leading up the grade to the intersection of North Bend and St. Louis Streets. Note the Central Vermont Railroad tracks to the left and the power line leading to the substation of the City Electric Light Plant.

May 23, 1942. This view is taken from the foot of the grade near the entrance to Cat's Island where the roadway changes from a cut to a fill or embankment leading across a small ravine on the Cat's Island.

May 23, 1942. This view is taken from the foot of the grade near the entrance to Cat's Island where the roadway changes from a cut to a fill or embankment leading across a small ravine to Cat's Island.

January 20, 1944. This building was erected by regular Street Department employees using Salvage material saved from the fire of the old Davis Machine Shop, also from salvage corrugated sheet metal from Fort Ethan Allen. The remainder of the building was constructed of lumber obtained by cutting pine trees in the Airport woods and hauling them to the saw mill at Essex Jct. and Winooski where they were cut into timber and boarding. The only new material purchased for this building was the corrugated sheet metal used for facing the south side of the building which was not completed at the time this picture was taken. The main building is 90 feet in length and 28 feet in width with a clearance of approximately 14 feet to the eaves, the doorways being approximately 10 ft. X 18 ft. Between each doorway is a 12 ft. X 28 ft. bin with sloping sidewalls where all salvage is classified and stacked and then disposed of to junk dealers. All materials having any salvage value are saved, sorted and disposed of through the facilities of this building. The two small lean-to sheds at the easterly end of the building were originally used for WPA (Work Projects Administration) construction crews, one of these sheds will be used as a garage for the Allis-Chalmers tractor which will be used with a reversible bulldozer blade sidewalk snow plow to push the refuse through the back doorways and over the bank after the salvage material has all been sorted out. When the building is completed it will be painted with camouflage asphaltum paint which has been donated for the purpose.

January 20, 1944. This view shows the Salvage Depot from the easterly end looking down into the Intervale. Note the abrupt drop from the level of the houses at the top of the bank to the level of the Intervale, a vertical drop of approximately 45 feet above the level of the Intervale. All Materials brought to the Refuse Disposal Grounds are inspected by one of the caretakers before it is dumped and the caretaker designates where the load will be dumped, depending upon the class of material contained in the load. All materials unfit for salvage are carried to the remote end of Cat's Island, shown in the background of this picture, where it is dumped and burned if any combustable materials are present. No fires are allowed within three to five hundred feet of the building. Sign leans against one end of the building stating disposal grounds regulations.

August 3, 1944. This view taken from the same position on the sand hill across from the railroad track from which the preceding view was taken shows the remaining section of the road leading from the slope on the old railroad fill known as Cat's Island. This road has all been recently improved by constructing mixed-in-place stabilized base using was crank-case oil and constructing an armor coat wearing surface with peastone and chips penetrated with HRM asphaltic emulsion. Note the Salvage Depot building where all salvageable materials are handled and processed, also the small hose house for fire protection equipment and the smoke rising from the far end of the "Island" where all unsalvageable wastes are burned daily.

August 3, 1944. This view shows the completed building at the Municipal Refuse Disposal Grounds consisting of the main Salvage Depot shown in the center which is approximately 100 feet in length by 30 feet in width with small garage attached at one end also tool shack at left which is used for warming house in winter, and hose house shown at right in the distance. All buildings are covered with sheet metal, roofs and siding, for fire protection. The hose house is built over a concrete underground manhole which houses the water meter and provides a 2 inch water main with approximately 300 feet of fire hose for emergency use. All buildings have been painted with a camouflage gray paint, asphaltum base, and were constructed almost entirely with salvaged materials and by Street Department employees. This picture also shows the newly constructed mixed-in-place roadway in front of the buildings.

May 23, 1942. This view shows the embankment between the Central Vermont Railroad and North Bend Street through which the road will be constructed leading from the intersection of North Bend St. and St. Louis St. to Cat's Island a distance of approximately 1500 lineal feet. The road here will be constructed on a 7-3/4 percent grade. The difference in elevation between the level of the curbs on North Bend St. at the intersection of St. Louis St and the iron pipe on Cat's Island at the proposed City Dump is approximately 83 feet and the difference in elevation between this iron pipe and the level of the Intervale at the bottom of the dump is approximately 41 ft.
Note :-The building in the center of the picture at the top of the bank is known as the Pomeroy Cottage.

This view shows the entrance to the Municipal Refuse Disposal Grounds after the erection of the picket fence, gate and sign denoting the rules and regulations. The stabilized base using crushed stone to mix with the sand and cinders was just being started as this picture was taken Aug. 3, 1944.

August 3, 1944. This view shows the entrance to the Municipal Refuse Disposal Grounds after the work of erecting the gate, building the picket fence and constructing a stabilized base for the pavement area. Note the contrast with picture 1-A taken just as construction work was being started.

August 3, 1944. This view shows the dumping area with truck dumping waste at right and accumulation of metal and other salvage at the left. Note the difference in elevation of the dumping area which is approximately 40 feet above the Intervale area and approximately 80 feet below the level of the Street on North Bend indicated by the houses at the top of the bank. This makes an ideal location for a Refuse Disposal Grounds.

August 3, 1944. This view shows the completed road including the entrance gate and nearly completed slopes leading from intersection of North Bend St. and St. Louis St. to Cat's Island. Note the comparison with picture 1-A taken just as work was being started on this project. The remainder of the slope will be completed this summer by surfacing with top soil and sowing grass seed similar to remainder of job as shown.

March 8, 1944. This view shows a section of the Salvage Depot as a load of baled salvage paper was being loaded and hauled to the car by the Burlington Paper Stock Co. to whom all salvage paper is being sold. This load contained 45 bales having a total weight of approximately 2 1/2 tons.

January 20, 1944.
Municipal Refuse Disposal Grounds regulations attached to the side of the building, also the Salvage Depot building with a lean-to garage and tool shack at some distance from the Depot building.
See also mcalA02F05i05 photo dated August 1944 Burlington Dump

January 20, 1944
This building was erected by regular Street Department employees using Salvage material saved from the fire of the old Davis Machine Shop, also from salvage corrugated sheet metal from Fort Ethan Allen. The remainder of the building was constructed of lumber obtained by cutting pine trees in the Airport woods and hauling them to the saw mill at Essex Jct. and Winooski where they were cut into timber and boarding. The only new material purchased for this building was the corrugated sheet metal used for facing the south side of the building which was not completed at the time this picture was taken. The main building is 90 feet in length and 28 feet in width with a clearance of approximately 14 feet to the eaves, the doorways being approximately 10 ft. X 18 ft. Between each doorway is a 12 ft. X 28 ft. bin with sloping sidewalls where all salvage is classified and stacked and then disposed of to junk dealers. All materials having any salvage value are saved, sorted and disposed of through the facilities of this building. The two small lean-to sheds at the easterly end of the building were originally used for WPA (Work Projects Administration) construction crews, one of these sheds will be used as a garage for the Allis-Chalmers tractor which will be used with a reversible bulldozer blade sidewalk snow plow to push the refuse through the back doorways and over the bank after the salvage material has all been sorted out. When the building is completed it will be painted with camouflage asphaltum paint which has been donated for the purpose.
See also mcalA02F05i13 Burlington Dump

December 20, 1932. Photo caption "Outfall end of new trunk line sewer; old sewer shown on extreme right." The date 1932 clearly seen on the upper portion. On the right edge of the photo is seen an old out of service trolley car.

Undated photograph taken behind Saiger's Store (Colodny's) at 87-95 North Avenue looking easterly over a refuse strewn bank towards the parking lot and the Shell gas station at the intersection of North Street and North Avenue beyond. See also mcalA16F12i30

May 23, 1942. This view shows the intersection of St. Louis Street and North Bend Street as excavation on the road to the proposed City Dump on the Intervale was being started Saturday morning May 23. This view is looking in a westerly direction along North Bend Road.

May 23, 1942. This view shows the intersection of St. Louis Street and North Bend Street as excavation on the road to the proposed City Dump on the Intervale was being started Saturday morning May 23, 1942. The view is looking up an easterly direction along North Bend St. Note the location of the pole line and the large Elm tree in the approximate center line of the right-of-way.

May 23, 1942. This view is taken from a point just westerly of the intersection of St. Louis St and North Bend St. on a line with the southerly shoulder of the proposed roadway to the City Dump looking in an easterly direction.

This view shows the entrance, to the proposed City Dump on the Intervale where it starts at the intersection of St. Louis Street and North Bend Street just as work was being started Saturday morning, May 23, 1942.